Distance walked: 7.8km
JAL premium economy is spacious enough that you don't need to worry about being elbowed by your neighbour. Also, the seat slides within its shell rather than reclining so you don't end up with the seat in front in your face. That's the good news. The bad news is they barely recline/slide at all and the footrest is a joke. I was sure I wouldn't get any sleep but when I checked my watch 5 hours had passed. I managed to doze for another 2 1/2 hours after that so I was feeling OK - just hungry. We didn't get supper, we were just handed a bag of snakcs - chips, a Tim Tam (!) and a small chocolate croissant. About 2 hours before landing we were served breakfast. I had the chicken teriyaki rather than the (western) omelette and sausage. Start as I mean to go on. We also got a tiny serve of potato salad with a sliver of smoked salmon, strawberry yoghurt, 3 slices of fruit and a bottle of Yakult. I'd never had that before and won't have it again. It was disgustingly sweet.
Immigration at Tokyo airport (well Narita) was a bit of a shambles. We all lined up in a long, snaking queue before being directed to one of 10 or so stands where we were fingerprinted and photographed. We were then sent to join a number of queues for an actual immigration officer. These queues intermingled with the ones for the fingerprinting/mug shot machines. In addition, every immigration officer had one of the machines themselves so I don't see the point of doing it in two steps.
I got a ticket for the Narita Express and got to Tokyo Central without any real drama. Getting off the train the first person I saw was a worker dressed head to foot in a yellow plastic suit and a face mask. At first it looked like a hazmat suit and I was wondering if I should start to panic but I think he was just some sort of sanitation worker.
I managed to stuff up buying my Shinkansen ticket to Kyoto. Tokyo Central is huge - sprawling over multiple levels. I went out through a ticket barrier - which swallowed my Narita Express ticket. I then bought, I thought, my ticket for a reserved seat to Kyoto and went back in. It turned out the machine had just sold me the seat reservation, not the actual base fare. I discovered this later.
By this time my stomach said it was lunch time. I had a vague recollection that it was bad manners (or perhaps even forbidden) to eat on the train so I stopped at a food hall and ate a very indifferent bento. Bland pork slices on rice with a cube of omelette, a small piece of carrot and another of, I think, turnip - couldn't tell from the taste.
I had 15 minutes to catch my train but the ticket barrier wouldn't let me through as I only had half a ticket. I got help from a station guard who explained the problem and I queued up to buy the other half (not panicking at all at the delay). The ticket seller was more interested in how I got to Tokyo station than in selling me a ticket to leave it. I tried to explain but his English couldn't follow my (odd to him) behaviour. He eventually gave up and sold me what I needed. I made it to the train with a couple of minutes to spare to sit, surrounded by locals, eating their lunch!
My room here at my hotel in Kyoto is a standard sized mid tier hotel room. Nothing as dinky as I was expecting. I've stayed in smaller places in Europe. I move to a cheaper room once the tour starts so I may have to revise my opinion.
The toilet in my room has a Toto washlet attachment - as did the JAL plane. I'm underwhelmed. I definitely want to use TP as well as it too get properly clean. It also wastes a ridiculous amount of water, starting with a small flush as soon as you sit down, presumably to mask any sounds you might make.
After settling in and taking a shower, I headed out just to wander around my local neighbourhood. Several of the main streets have been turing into shopping arcades interspersed with the odd temple. Most of the temples here have little to no English signage (understandably). However, this means I'm not sure if it is OK to just wander in for a look around. I don't even know if they are Buddist temples or Shinto ones. Even the ones with some English signage don't bother to explain. I peaked inside a few when I saw other people about.
I ended up wandering down the Nishiki Market strip - food market mainly. I had planned going there tomorrow but it turns out to be closer to the hotel than I had thought. It was fun looking at all the weird and wonderful things for sale. Most stalls were very specialised - one just sold things made from sesame seeds, another chestnuts (surely not in season), yet another things made from matcha (I bought some hand cream) and one that appeared to sell nothing but different types of bonito flakes. All the stalls that sold "takeaway" food had a few tables and chairs where you could eat. Eating in the street is seriously frowned upon.
I also came across a cat cafe. For 780Y you could get a cup of tea-like substance from a machine plus spend half an hour petting their Bengal kitties. If you sat still long enough they would come and sit on you. they had amazingly soft silken fur.
After getting my cat fix I wandered down Pontocho Alley looking for somewhere to get dinner. I didn't fancy anything too upmarket but also nothing too cheap & cheerful. I settled on a very traditional Japanese place with a 7 course set menu for 2,980Y - which ended up costing 4,125Y after adding a beer, an obligatory cover charge and some other mysterious fee. It was very tasty though.
However, it was also very traditional. Not only did I have to take my shoes off at the door, the tables were so low you had to sit on the floor. I know enough not to lean against the wall but I sat cross legged because there is no way I can sit in hero's pose throughout an entire meal!
The restaurant was spread over several rooms over several levels. I was put in a room of 3 tables for 2 by myself. I suspect this was so no-one would have to pu up with my table manners. Towards the end of my meal a young couple with a toddler was seated in my section. I guess they assumed our table manners would be on par.
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